Top 5: Street food in Russia

Time is always precious, especially if you are on a trip visiting another country. You may not have time to look for a restaurant and wait for your meal to be ready. Street food is often the best solution to get the energy to go exploring the country. Russia, despite the arrival of fast food giants, has its own types of street food that you might enjoy as well. Here are some of the best ( and I personally tested them for you!).

• Shawarma

The question of who created Shawerma is still a source of tension but we are not here to discuss it today. Shawerma arrived in Russia through the Caucasus and extended its influence over all Russia, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific ocean. It’s the most popular food among the young generation of Russians and students (maybe because it stays open until late in the night).

It is usually composed of chicken, sheep or beef meat, marinated and sliced in thin slices. It is rolled up in a Lavash bread with different vegetables likes tomatoes or cucumbers and sauce.

• Pirozhki

One of the most famous traditional Russian meal. The best are of course the home-made ones by a real “Babushka”, but you can still find good ones in the streets of every Russian city. A pirojok, which is the singular form of Pirozhki, is a type of pastry stuffed with different fillings. It goes from stewed fruits, like apples or berries, to marinated beef with onions or mashed potatoes and mushrooms.

WARNING !!! never forget to ask what is inside the Pirozhok or you might eat one expecting a sweet fruit taste and end up with some boiled cabbage (happened to me once).

• Pelmeni

As for Shawarma, Pelmeni are not a traditional Russian food, it comes from Siberia and is now one of the most favorite food of Russians. In Siberia, they used to be frozen outdoors and then carried by explorers but nowadays no need for Siberian winter, a simple refrigerator is enough.

Pelmeni are a type of dumpling filled with various meat (pork, beef, chicken,…) or with mushrooms. They often come with Smetana, a milk product close to sour cream that Russians appreciate a lot.

• Blini

Blini is a Russian traditional Pancake. It is so much popular that there even is a whole fast food brand dedicated to this dish, Teremok. In those restaurants, you can find different types of blinis with different topping both sweet and salty. It often comes with soup like Borscht or shchi. It is a good alternative if you don’t want to go to the same fast food as usual ( no need to name it, you know what I mean).

• Boiled corn

This might sound strange to some people but Boiled corn is really a thing in Russia. You can find small shops selling those in every park and even in train stations. It is quite cheap and nourishing, especially in cold weather.

Plus scientists say it’s healthy to eat corn so why not try